Swimmer's itch recurring problem in lakes

Friday

Jul 4, 2014 at 5:00 PM

The Associated Press

GERRISH TOWNSHIP — Swimmer's itch is a painful problem that many northern Michigan visitors can't duck.Flatworms that spend part of their lives in the bodies of migratory ducks can cause painful rashes lasting several weeks. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, swimmer’s itch appears as a skin rash caused by an allergic reaction to certain microscopic parasites that infect some birds and mammals.While the parasite's preferred host is the specific bird or mammal, if the parasite comes into contact with a swimmer, it burrows into the skin causing an allergic reaction and rash.It's been around for years but is getting particular attention at northern Michigan's 10,000-acre Higgins Lake in Roscommon County, west of Roscommon. The lake is popular with ducks and people, and snails that host the flatworms are common in shallower sections.Locally, swimmer’s itch is not officially tracked, said Kristina Wieghmink, spokeswoman for the Ottawa County Department of Public Health. It is not listed on the the county’s communicable disease reports so there is no count in the area.The county, does, however, remind residents to refrain from feeding birds while at the beach. Doing so can spread swimmer's itch (and other illnesses) in the area and lead to fecal deposits.Gerrish Township supervisor Frank Homola is well aware of the issue."I can say we're taking the problem seriously and it is our No. 1 priority in the summer months," he said.Homola, 63, serves on a regional swimmer's itch task force and said he's been a victim of swimmer's itch. "It's like a room full of mosquitoes biting you all at the same time," he said. "It impacts our whole economy because people will go somewhere else, like Ohio or Indiana."The only information regarding swimming and water health and safety that the Ottawa County Health Department puts out is the recreational water illnesses message found at miottawa.org/beachwatch, Wieghmink said.— Lisa Ermak contributed to this report.